Civil Rights Timeline

wikipediaThe White Primary was a sneaky way to stop black citizens from voting. The primary was the first section of voting and all of the elections after it were kind of pointless because most of the campaigners that the black citizens might have wanted were already eliminated.

2nd Feb, 1948

Integration of the Armed Forces

armyHarry S. Truman starts the integration ofthe Armed forces. His belief was that there shouldn't be any discrimination in the Armed Forces to allow the soldiers to coexist more effectively while serving.

17th May, 1954

Brown v. Board of Education

CourtWhen several children were denied education at a nearby school due to the the color of their skin, the case was taken to US Supreme Court. The ruling was that separate educational facilities for different races was unconstitutional.

1st Dec, 1955

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

rosa parksRosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, who, by segregation laws, had the right to demand it.The Montgomery Bus Boycott began on Dec. 5, 1955. Very few African-Americans rode buses during the boycott.Many people carpooled, walked, or hitchhiked to the places they wanted to go.The boycott was eventually a success and on November 13, Alabama’s laws requiring segregation on buses were declared unconstitutional.

13th Feb, 1956

1956 Change to GA's State Flag

<ahref='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Georgia_(U.S._state)' >Georgia state flag</a>In 1956, several people wanted to change the state flag to include an element of their struggle in the Civil War. They changed it so that one side had the Confederate flag. Some people called it "Stars and Bars." Several people didn't like it as it showed some support of discrimination. Many refused to fly it. it was very controversial and was changed in 2001.

4th Sep, 1957

Crisis at Central High School and the "Little Rock Nine"

rock nineNine black students were enrolled in Central High School, an all-white school, and were on their way to attend the first day of school. There was a mob waiting outside the school trying to stop them form going inside. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had sent troops to protect these students so they could go to school.

12th Oct, 1958

Bombing of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation

congregationA Jewish Temple in Atlanta was bombed at 3:45 a.m. with around 50 sticks of dynamite. Fortunately, there was no one injured in the explosion, but it scared many people

28th Apr, 1960

Sibley Commission

commissionThe Sibley Commision was created to study why people didn't want to integrate schools. It was headed by John Sibley. when interviewed, most Georgians would rather the schools be closed than have them integrate.

9th Jan, 1961

Integration of UGA

integrationTwo black students, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes, were enrolled in UGA. They arrive at the school with a police escort. UGA students, parents, and politicians beg to close it instead of letting the two black students attend. The Governor, however, refuses.

19th Mar, 1961

Freedom Rides

tripsDesigned to test the limits of desegregation, supporters would take long trips on buses sitting in the "Whites Only" sections. Many people were injured or killed due to mobs and terrorists against desegregation. The KKK would often be part of these anti-desegregation mobs and terrorist acts. They would burn and blow up buses, like the one seen in the picture.

17th Nov, 1961

Albany Movement

busThe NCAAP and SNCC tests the ruling that segregation in train and bus stations is illegal by sitting in the 'Whites Only' section of stations and buses. They get arrested and put in jail. At one point, 500 people were in jail or out on bond. The results of this movement were not very effective to stop or support segregtation.

10th Apr, 1963

Birmingham Protests

protestsBlack citizens in Birmingham, Alabama, revolt against their unfair treatment, fighting back with philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of nonviolence. The authorities respond with police dogs, high pressure water hoses, and physical force. This eventually got the laws of discrimination changed in Birmingham. Support of these demonstrations gained momentum internationally, causing segregation to become unpopular with many people.

28th Aug, 1963

March on Washington D.C.

marchA political rally for black rights, the March on Washington D.C. was the site of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The estimate of people involved in the March was close to three hundred thousand people.

15th Sep, 1963

19th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Bombed

birminghamFour little girls were killed in a bombing of a baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. The bombing was done by the KKK. They planted some dynamite under the stairs, near the basement, and when the girls walked up the steps, it blew up, killing four girls and injuring 22 more.

22nd Nov, 1963

JFK's Assassination

JFKJohn F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while in Dallas, Texas. He could have possibly been assassinated because he was very interested in getting rid of segregation.

2nd Jul, 1964

Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an act that made discrimination illegal in the United States. The discrimination was considered illegal not only against blacks, but also women. When the bill was first passed, it was not well enforced, but it gained support over time.

6th Aug, 1965

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Passed

voteThis Act was passed to make sure that all US Citizens could vote freely without discrimination. All races and genders could vote equally. Also, all prerequisites that had been used to sneakily forbid some people to vote, such as lineage and literacy tests, were outlawed.

16th Sep, 1966

Summerhill Race Riot

riotA black man was shot by a police and it started a riot. His name was Stokely Carmichael, aged 25. This caused unrest in the areas around where the shooting had happened and caused people to fight against.

4th Apr, 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassination

assassinationMartin Luhter King, Jr. was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Tennessee. James Earl Ray was the one who shot him and he was arrested afterwards and he pleaded guilty. MLK's death caused much unrest throughout the country. There were many riots. Especially in Atlanta.

6th Jan, 1971

Integration of Georgia's Schools

integratedWhen Georgia finally interated, it became the largest state that had a large, sizeable population of black citizens to integrate. All schools in Georgia were forced to integrate because if not, the state threatened to cut off funding to those rebelling schools.